Tricks and Memories
by ThatBrownEyedIrishGirl
Summary: Missing moment from 3x22 regarding Stiles, Lydia, Peter and the night of the Winter Formal. Lydia-centric. Stydia Oneshot.


**Tricks and Memories**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm just havin' some fun.**

**CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TEEN WOLF 3X22 'DE-VOID', SO IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED AND DON'T WANT A BIT RUINED FOR YOU, DO NOT READ**

**Unless you're like me and you love spoilers 'cause you're too impatient to wait. In that case, read on!**

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"Scott!"

His name tears from her mouth as she continuously slams her palms against the closed door. She reaches down and gives the door handle a few yanks, calling out her friend's name once more before she stops, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

Slowly, Lydia Martin turns to face the room she has become stuck in. The room that has become her prison unless she can find a way out, and with only one window opposite her, one that was guarded by thick iron bars that she would never be able to fit through or move, she was stumped, and _scared._

A cold feeling settles over her, numbing her to her core. A shadow passes along the floor, signalling something above her, and with only a hint of apprehension, Lydia follows her instincts and looks up.

A red balloon.

It floats through the air gently, taking its time in reaching the ground. Lydia watches it until it hits the cold floor with a soft bounce, transfixed by the almost serene movement.

It is succeeded by another balloon. This time, it's blue. More and more balloons follow after, drifting to the ground and obscuring her view.

All she can see is a colorful mix of red, white and blue.

She blinks, and when she re-opens her eyes, there are still balloons falling from above, but this time, the scenery has changed.

Lydia recognizes the hallway of the high school. There are so many balloons around her that she can no longer see the floor, and as her eyes roam around the dark corridor, she can see various other decorations strung across the tops of the lockers.

Lydia turns. The scene looks familiar but she doesn't understand why until a draught evokes goosebumps across her bare shoulders and arms, and she looks down.

A soft, barely audible gasp tumbles from her lips as her eyes settles on the pale pink fabric of her Winter Formal dress. The same dress that she had picked out after a long day of shopping a whole year before. The same dress that was torn to shreds by Peter Hale on the lacrosse field.

After discarding it at the hospital, Lydia had thought she would never see the dreaded thing again.

The black bow around the waist is loose, threatening to fall off, and literally only hanging by a thread. It had come loose when Peter's claws tore into the side of her dress, and slashed the skin underneath. Lydia twists her body slightly, and spots the blood stain that coated the previously pretty fabric. She shivers again, but this time, it isn't due to a draught.

There's music playing, filling the hallway with an eery background as she cautiously takes a step forward, her eyebrows furrowed in a display of the confusion she is feeling.

The shimmering silver ribbons that are hanging from the doorways and windows are casting odd shapes along the lockers, and it only proves to freak Lydia out even more.

"Jackson!" Lydia calls, the words escaping her without her consent. She's acting from memory, this she knows. Her heels swirl the balloons as she steps further into the hallway, sending them up to knee-height before they fall back down again. "You in here?"

Her question is met with the lyrics of the slow song. She takes another step forward, and instantly freezes as new sounds assault her ears. There's a soft growling, and the sound of something dragging across a rough surface.

She glances to the right, and down into a smaller hallway where she sees it.

The nogitsune.

It's sitting face-to-face with the wall, its fingers wrapped around a single piece of chalk as it draws a circle on the wall. Lydia squints, and thinks she can see some writing, but she's not sure, and she's definitely not going to get any closer than she already is.

It turns its head to look at her, and she shudders in fear, her eyes widening like a deer who has been caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. The nogitsune makes no move to approach her, and instead just stares at her as it drags the chalk harshly down the wall, eliciting a chilling grating noise that makes her skin crawl.

Lydia turns to run, and just manages to make it a few steps before there's a slamming sound behind her. She jumps in fright, snapping her head around to watch as the nogitsune moves towards her, roughly shoving the open locker doors closed as he gives slow chase.

She backs up a step each time he takes a step forward. The nogitsune becomes increasingly angrier as the seconds tick by, striding towards her faster and faster.

It opens its mouth, revealing those sharp teeth as a thunderous roar emerges from deep within its chest.

Lydia's eyes clamp shut of their own volition, and she turns her head, trying to block out the sound.

There's a voice now. It's screaming her name, not angrily but forcefully. It's familiar, and as she reaches up to cover her ears with her hands, she figures out who the voice belongs to. _Peter._

But then another voice joins in. This one sounding much more terrified and panicked than Peter's. She opens her eyes at the sound, and is instantly blinded by the bright lights of the lacrosse field.

The nogitsune is gone, and as she turns, she sees Stiles running towards her. He's yelling at her to run, and she turns in time to see Peter advancing on her, his eyes glowing red and his jaw opening to reveal sharp fangs.

Lydia freezes, and is ready to scream until she feels something pass through her. With a gasp, she stumbles to the side, staring down at her own unconscious body. Peter is hovering over her, and growls menacingly as Stiles drops to his knees by her head.

"Don't kill her!" Stiles begs. "Please!"

"Of course not." Peter replies, clicking his tongue as he smirks at a younger looking Stiles. "Just tell me how to find Derek."

"W-What?" Stiles's question comes out in a pant as he stares despairingly down at her still form.

"Tell me how to find Derek Hale." Peter reiterates, slower this time.

"I don't know that." Stiles breathes. "How would I know that?"

"Because you're the clever one, aren't you?" Taunts Peter,"And because deception has a particularly acrid scent, Stiles. Tell me the truth – " Peter extends his claws, and drags one down the side of Lydia's bloody temple. "Or I will rip her apart."

"Look– Look, I don't know, okay?" Stiles falters. "I sw–I swear to god, I have no idea."

"Tell me!" Peter screams, loud enough to make Lydia flinch and take a step backwards as she watches the scene play out before her.

"Okay, okay, okay, look, I– I think he knew -" Stiles trails off, which only proves to irk Peter.

"Knew what?" Asks Peter, the impatience clear in his voice.

"Derek, I think he– I think he knew he was gonna be caught."

"By the Argents?"

"Yeah." Nods Stiles.

"And?"

"When they were shot, he and Scott – I think he took Scott's phone."

Peter raises an eyebrow,"Why?"

"They all have GPS now. So if he still has it and if it's still on – you can find him."

Peter rears back, falling back onto his heels as he considers what Stiles has told him. Lydia watches, feeling the nerves bubbling away in her stomach as Peter slowly rises to full height, and beckons to Stiles.

"Move."

Stiles stands, coming face to face with the alpha. Despite the power emanating from him, Stiles stares right back at Peter, his gaze unwavering despite the twitching of his fingers, a clear indication of his fear.

"No – I'm not just letting you leave her here."

Lydia's heart flutters as she watches Stiles. He's looking out for her, protecting her like he always does. Peter doesn't seem as pleased about that little fact.

"You don't have a _choice_, Stiles." Peter grits out, his jaw clenched. "You're coming with _me_."

"Just kill me!" Stiles exclaims, and Lydia's heart stops. "Look, I don't care anymore." He continues.

Lydia steps forward, opening her mouth to scream at him. She's not sure whether she's more angry or concerned. Angry for baiting an already murderous werewolf, and concerned because said werewolf doesn't seem _too _put off by the idea as he glances from Lydia's injured form back to Stiles.

"Call your friend." Peter decides finally. "Tell Jackson where she is. That's all you get."

Lydia's mouth falls open, a relieved sigh on the tip of her tongue. Not for her, but for Stiles. She knows, she does, that Peter didn't hurt Stiles that night. She knows that she, and Kate, were the only ones hurt by him on that December day, but she's wrapped up in the scene, and she's unable to get out.

Until Stiles disappears, and the nogitsune takes his place.

Peter is gone from the field too, as is her body, leaving her standing opposite the dark kitsune.

Lydia runs.

She sprints across the lacrosse field, not daring to look over her shoulder and see how far or close he is to her. She just focuses on escaping. Lydia heads for the school, slamming her body against the double doors, throwing them open and re-entering the hallway.

She can hear Peter again. He's calling, telling her she's stronger than this, whatever _this_ is.

And as she runs further into the hall, the realisation of what this truly is dawns on her.

It's a trick, meant to distract her. Meant to weaken her with emotion and steer her off the path that she and Scott had intended to take.

They needed to find Stiles, the nogitsune knew that. Everything was a trick.

With this knowledge on her side, Peter's voice fades into the background, and the balloons and the banners slowly begin to disappear. She pushes through the sparkling silver ribbons and skids to a halt in a large, white room.

Scott is by her side in an instant, and the relief washes over her. She has made it back.

And with a glance down towards the opposite end of the large, clinic-like room, they see Stiles.

Sat across from the nogitsune on top of the nemeton, Stiles is locked in a game of _go _with the same dark spirit who was causing all of this.

It's _her_ Stiles. The one she's been missing, the one who always seems to make things better.

The one who saved her life by offering his.

The one whose life she would save, even if she had to offer hers.

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**Okay, I know what some of you may be thinking; **_**Megan posted another stydia oneshot instead of updating It's Where My Demons Hide**_

**Yes! You are correct! And I'm sorry, but this wouldn't leave me alone, and the next chapter for Demons will be up soon, I promise.**

**While you're waiting though, feel free to tell me what you think of this. I'm not really sure myself, to be honest. I just thought a moment like this should have been added to the episode and once I get an idea, it has to be done.**

**- Megan.**


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